Tractor.



A. C. JOHNSON.

TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I0. 1917- Patented Jan.15,1918

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

A. C. JOHNSON.

TRACTOR.'

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I0. I9II.

Fmenftad Jam. l5, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. @Narnia sra s narrar onirica'.

rnacron.

Application filed February 10, 1917. Serial No.

i To all 'whom zt may concern:

Be it known that ll, ALFRED O. Jorritsma,

- a. citizen of theUnited States of America,

ia wheels, said means including anV angular residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Tractors, of which the following is especification, reference bein had to therein to the accompanying drawings.

rlhis invention relates to tractors and more particularly to a-vehicle that may be utilized as a pull-motor, propulsion device, attachment or power lant for another vehicle devoid of propu sion means. For instance, my machine has been especially designed for agricultural implements or machines and may be readily coupled thereto for moving the implements or machines about fields or on roads.

My invention aims to provide a. machine of the above type that may be advantageously used in fields for moving cultivating implements or machines, the tractor being designed to aiiord sucieiit clearance for growing plants, for instance corn, and it is in this connection that the tractor is equipped with novel wheels forming the subject matter of an application filed dan. 22, 1917, Serial No. 143,769, and furthermore, has a-'balanced power plant centering the loadonithe traction wheel and relieving an agricultural implement attached to the tractor of any :stresses or strains other than that incurred "by drawing or pushing the implement over la the ground.

ce wheels being arranged for steering.purposesv and to receive power from the power plant of the. tractor or pull-motor. Novel 'iriieansV is employediorrtransrnitting power from vthe engine or motor shaft to the` .traction drive that does not interfere with' the steer-A inay of the' ajtionwheelsor subject said wheels-'to anyjzlate'ral stressesor strains due-f to the power plant or the driven shaft"there@ "i 'to of benglocated outof alinement, with theles or spinoEes-ot the tractionjwheels. y.

invention-further aims yto provides, tractor or pullsmotor withnovel controlling.

14 for the shaft`13 and the lower end of as mote Afrom-"the power plant ofthe machina devices that may be operated at a peintre'- n'e ot the devices is employed .for-wn- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented dano i5, jltll@ trolling the clutch and brake mechanism and carbureter, while another device is adapted for operating the change speed gear shifting mechanism. Both of these devices in connection with the tractor or pull-motor per se are in proximity to the steering wheel or column and permit of the operator of the machine readily controlling the same.

My invention further aims to accomplish the above results by a simple, compact, durable and ehcient machine that will be hereinafter described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawings, whereint Figure 1 is a plan of. a portion of the trac- Fig. 2 isa front elevation of a portion ot the same;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a tractor, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the power transmission mechanism for one of the traction wheels of the machine. In the drawings, 1 generally denotes an internal combustion engine havingI a crank case 2 -and communicating therewith is a transmission casing 3 and a casing 4 containingf the usual change speed gear mechanism.

' Connected to the sides of the casing 3 and communicating therewith are the heads 5 ot outwardly extending lateral arms 6, said arms being hollow with the outer ends thereof provided with depending tubular legs 7 and at the juncture of the arms 6 and the legs 7 are detachable plates 8 so that easy access can be had to the interior of the arms and legs.

Within the arms 6 are suitable anti-lirictional bearings 9 for driven shafts 10, said vshafts extending into the transmission casing 3 to be driven by the engine 1 through the -usual change speed gear mechanism locatedwithin the casing 4. 'lhe outer ends of the shafts 10 are provided with gear wheels 12 meshing with gear wheels 13 on the upper ends of vertically disposed shafts 13 revoluble in the legs 7. As the legs 7 eov lltltl i and parts associated therewith are identical aft vboth sides et the machine, l deem it only 1 necessary to describe the construction at one side ofi the; machine, and reference will he -hadto' F1a". 4, showing these parts Viii-section. f Within the leg 7' are suitable bearings said sha-ft has a beveled gear wheel 15.

Rotatable on the leg 7 is a. tubular lmnclale member 16 having the lower end thereof provided with a housing 17 for a wheel axle or shaft 18. The housing 17 has a detachable outer face plate 19 providing a hub porfrictional bearings 23 for the hub 24 of a Wheel 25, and the hub 24 has a socket portion 26 into which extend the outer, rectangular or shank end of the Wheel axle 18.

The casmg 4 supports converging frames 28, connected as at 29,v and provi d with depending coupling members` 30 so that the tractor may bel attached to a vehicle. The frames 28 support an angularly disposed steerlng column 31 and this steering column has 'a steering wheel 32 and the usual connection to a rod 33, which is connected, as

at 34, to asteering yoke 35. This steering yoke has crank portlons 36 mounted on the upper end of the tubular knuckle members 16, thus permitting of the wheels 25 being turned in a desired direction for steering purposes.

connected with a carbureter 38 of the engine'v i with a radiator 39 supported adjacent the engine 1 by brackets 40 of the arms 6, and

On the casings 3 and 4 is a'fuel tank 37 1. The engine 1 has the usual connectlons vbetween-the radiator 39 andl the crank case 2 of the engine 1 is a fan casing 41 contain-l ing the usual fan driven bythe engine shaft 42 of the engine 1. The en e shaft 42 or ing 4, between thejframes 28 and is provided with a brake wheel 43. lAbrake .band

l 44 is in operable relation to thev brake Wheel V' 43Vand is adapted to be operated by'a con- 'trolling rod 45 supported from one of the frames 28. The controllin rod 45 is projtiguous to the 'steering wheel 32 orfrom a ,'65 31," and remote point by' connectin another rod to said' handle.l The control ing rod 45 has L an enlarged portion or cam 47 adapted to en- '.Igag 'fc,

eration of the usual clutch associated withj an internal combustion engine. The head 49 utch crank 48 and control the oponthe rod 45fis adapted foroperatin the ciprocating and 'turning the rod45'., I

For rchanging the speed of the' tractor plant.

A plant yto' saidfwheels. brake band44, and the 'inner end of. sai rod y i has suitable connections'() tothe carbureterY 38,'so that said carbureter, the clutch, andY ,f thel Vbrake can be' controlled by simp1y"re-" frames 28 relative to the -arms 6, there are radius rods 52.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that the arms 6 and the legs 7 coperate in providing an inverted U-shaped hollow Y rame-for supporting a power plant, and

that within said hollow frame there are powertransmitting devices so that the tractor wheels at the lower ends of the legs 7 may be driven from the power plant located intermediate the ends of the hollow frame. It will also be noted that the power plant is balanced relative to its supporting frame; that the'operationjof the machine can be easily controlled; that the steering mechanism is well housed; that the power transmitting devices.Y are protected from dust and dirt, and that the machine as a whole can be advantageously used for iield work.

I reserve the right to Vsubstitute other wheels for those shown, so that the machine may be operated on roads without linjury to the same, and for moving the machine independent of any vehicle an ordinary pony wheel may be placed in position to support the end of the frames 28. c c

While in the drawing there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the structural clements are susceptible to such variations and modifications as fall within the scope ofthe appended claims.

1. A tractor comprising a hollow inverted U-lshaped frame, apower plant centrally thereof, Vwheelsat theends of Said frame, and means 'in said frame for transmitting .power from said power plant tosaid wheels. a shaft driven thereby exten s out of the cas- `2.`A tractor' comprising anv inverted U- shaped hollow frame, tractor wheels at the ends of said frame, a'power plantintermediate the ends of said vframe adapted to -transmit'power to said wheels, fframesv carried by saidpowery plant, means supported by said frames, vadaptedfor steering said wheels, andm'eans-supported bysaid frames for controlling Athe 'operation 'of s aidypower 3. A tractor comprising a power plant,

'hollow' arms projecting fromv the sides thereof, hollow legs' 'depending-from' the ends of said arms,wheels at'thc 'lower ends of said I'legs, and mea-nsfin said arms and said legs adapted. totransmit power' from` said vpower 4.- A tractor` comp fsin'g pbwer plant,

`'hollow arms projectingfrom ,thesides-there; 0f,` depending bellow legs" carried 'by 'the outer endsfof said` arms, wheels at the lowerl ends'ofsaid legs. meansron said 'legs adapted `'rfvor sltfeeringsaidwheels, and means `in said armsz and sald legs adaptedfor transmitting power from saidfp'owr plant toz'said wheels. 5.- The co'i'i'ibination with a powerplant, of hollow arms promoting the sides theremasses of, depending hollow legs at the ends of said arms, housings at the lower ends of said legs, wheels at the outer sides of said housings, means extending through said arms, legs and housings adapted for imparting movement to said wheels from said power plant, and means on said legs adapted for turning said housings to steer said wheels.

6. ln a tractor, a' hollow inverted U- shaped frame, a power plant on said frame,

housings at the ends of said frame, wheels at' tho outer sides of said housings, frames anism supported from said' frames and adapted for turning said housings to steer 15 said wheels, and means on said frames for controlling the operation of said power plant.. v

ln testimony whereof l ax my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED C. JHNSUNT Witnesses:

KARL H. BUTLER, ANNA M. Donn. 

